Gary Paul Nabhan is hot on the trail of climate changeThe Boston Globe - 6/30/2011.By Aaron Kagan – Patagonia, Arizona: A lesser known symbol of climate change is the chili pepper. In a new book “Chasing Chiles: Hot Spots Along the Pepper Trail,’’ Gary Paul Nabhan examines the relationship between food production and global warming through the chili pepper.

Congress should reward farmers who are good stewardsCommon Dreams - 6/30/2011.By Brenna Norton – In the 1980s and early 1990s, a variety of US Department of Agriculture-supported conservation practices, requirements, and incentives were effective in reversing high levels of soil erosion. In recent years, relatively high soy and corn prices have given farmers incentive to expand planting onto marginal lands. The promise of high profits, and a perverse federal commodity subsidy system that rewards intensive mono-cropping, is just too good to resist.

Time to end the chemical war against superweedsGreenpeace International - 6/30/2011.By Lasse Bruun – Weed killers are used on a massive scale under the unproven assumption that they are safe. Roundup, one of the most common herbicides, is marketed by US agrochemical company Monsanto as “safe” for the environment and for humans – but “deadly for weeds.” Our new report, Herbicide Tolerance and GM Crops paints a very different picture.

Canada seeks to breed stronger honeybeesTreehugger - 6/30/2011.By Sami Grover – Many folks believe that the answer to saving the bees lies in either breeding for better genetics and/or encouraging nature and evolution to do the same. One program in Canada is setting out to actively breed better, more resilient bees – and it is enlisting the help of its local beekeepers to do so.

Augusta Civic Center. MOFGA offers free presentations and discussions, open to the public, on sustainable agriculture. Schedule here. No pre-registration required. MOFGA also has an information exhibit all three days of the show. Staff and committee members are available to answer questions about our ongoing programs. MOFGA members are encouraged to attend the association's annual meeting from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Jan. 9.

4 sessions, Jan. 16 to Feb 6. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Smith's Smokehouse, Monroe, Maine. Join Andy Smith of Smith's Smokehouse and delve into the basics of charcuterie through a series of four workshops. Learn how to create your own charcuterie goods, and potential business, and then dig deep into a variety of curing processes including bacon, bresaola, beef jerky and more! Don't forget to register for this course, we only have 10 spots available. The complete series is $350 for MOFGA members and $400 for non-members. Each session will take place at Smith's Smokehouse; bring your own lunch. If you have any questions, email Anna Mueller at events@mofga.org. Details and registration.

(Snow date: Feb. 12) Belfast, Maine. Maine Farm to Institution (MEFTI) and the Maine Farm to School Network (MFSN) and their many partners are pleased to announce the first Maine Farm to Institution Summit. Registration and information: https://www.mainefarmtoinstitution.org/about-the-summit/

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by Coastal Enterprises Inc., 30 Federal St., Brunswick, Maine. Full-day workshop designed to help established and beginning farmers understand the financials of their business and learn how to make informed decisions to increase profits. Instructor Julia Shanks is the author of "The Farmer's Office: Tools, Tips and Templates to Successfully Manage a Growing Farm Business." $100 per person; $135 for two people coming from the same farm. Scholarships available. Information and registration.